Faculty Member Receives High School Chemistry Award
This spring, the St. Louis chapter of the American Chemical Society gave its annual High School Chemistry Teaching Award to Upper School chemistry teacher Melanie Shedd (C'98) for her achievements and innovation in science education. Shedd also serves as the School’s K–12 science curriculum coordinator.
This highly regarded award is only given to one science teacher from the St. Louis area each year and was created to "recognize, encourage, and stimulate outstanding teachers of high school chemistry."
Shedd has taught at the Upper School since 2005. She is also co-chair of the St. Louis Area Chemical Knowledge Educator Resource Sharers (SLACKERS), a group of St. Louis chemistry teachers and professors who meet monthly to share best practices, labs, and activities that promote the field of chemistry.
“This award affirms my deep belief in the importance of relevant, project-based learning as a tool to prepare future-ready students, as well as the value and importance of building educational leadership opportunities,” Shedd says.
In her classroom, Shedd uses authentic performance tasks where students can demonstrate their transfer of knowledge. Some student-driven performance tasks include: creating a soap company, developing aquaponic and hydroponic systems to address food insecurity, testing the water quality of local bodies of water to inform land management decisions, and creating chemistry games to teach elementary students about the elements in the periodic table.
“Melanie Shedd is an excellent example of what a determined and gifted teacher is capable of in the science classroom even under the extra stresses of the current challenges,” stated the award presenters.